The linear spectrum and corresponding Bloch modes of shallow honeycomb lattices near Dirac points are investigated. Via perturbation theory, the dispersion relation is found to have threefold degeneracy at leading order with eigenvalue splitting at the following two orders; i.e., the threefold eigenvalue splits into single and double values. Multiscale perturbation methods are employed to describe the nonlinear dynamics of the associated wave envelopes. The dynamics of the envelope depends on different asymptotic balances whereupon a three-level nonlinear Dirac-type equation or a two-level nonlinear Dirac equation is derived. The analysis agrees well with direct numerical simulations.

Nonlinear dynamics of wave packets in parity-time-symmetric optical lattices near the phase-transition point is analytically studied. A nonlinear Klein–Gordon equation is derived for the envelope of these wave packets. A variety of phenomena known to exist in this envelope equation are shown to also exist in the full equation, including wave blowup, periodic bound states, and solitary wave solutions.

Two-dimensional localized edge modes in optical honeycomb lattices are found and analyzed analytically and computationally. Weak nonlinearity and transverse modulation are found to introduce self-phase modulation in the phase and create internal nonlinear interactions as the electromagnetic field propagates through the lattice. Even with relatively strong nonlinearity localization and persistence of modes along the edge are found.

Nonlinear waves in deformed optical honeycomb lattices are investigated. Discrete couple mode equations are used to find higher order continuous nonlinear Dirac systems which are employed to describe key underlying phenomena. For weak deformation and nonlinearity the wave propagation is circular–ellliptical. At strong nonlinearity the diffraction pattern becomes triangular in structure which is traced to appropriate nonequal energy propagation in momentum space. At suitably large deformation the dispersion structure can have nearby Dirac points or small gaps. The effective dynamics of the wave packets is described by two maximally balanced nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger type equations.

We observe vortex generation by selective excitation of two honeycomb sublattices at the vicinity of Dirac points. Such vortices arise from graphene “pseudospin”, suggesting that “pseudospin” could be observable and possess real angular momentum.